When someone dedicates decades to emergency services, the impact ripples outward in ways they may never fully witness. Kathy's story exemplifies this powerful truth as she shares her remarkable journey through the National Ski Patrol system. We continue with Kathy in Part 3...
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Jodie (00:00):
Kathy, we're going to morph into another section.
Not only have you been in theski patrol system for a few
decades here and been able tosee so much.
Let's give some kudos toyourself.
And no one that I know of goesinto the ski patrol saying I
want to get an award.
That's not why we're here inany sense or fashion, but dang
(00:25):
it.
Recognition needs recognitionand you have put an amazing
amount of time and differentthings.
You have just a few awardsunderneath your belt and you
probably deserve 100 more, butlet's talk about them a little
bit, if you don't mind.
You have, first off, what isyour national appointment number
?
Kathy Alexander (00:45):
7907.
Jodie (00:48):
And this is something that Murphy and I keep
forgetting to tell peoplebecause we get laughing so hard
because we're like oh so thereis this sort of common thing and
I don't know if it's just PNWDor if this is everywhere in the
NSP system but it is sort of theunwritten rule If you have a
national appointment or aleadership accommodation award,
(01:08):
that if you don't speak up yournumber right off, then you owe a
beverage of choice to theperson that has challenged you
for this.
So we have gotten one.
Kathy Alexander (01:20):
So so far we still, we still do that, we
still do that, and I know acouple of ski patrollers that
have actually written theirnumber on the back of a glove.
Jodie (01:32):
No.
Kathy Alexander (01:33):
So that when somebody asks them, they just
look down and go there it is.
Jodie (01:37):
That's actually a smart idea, yeah, because they never
remember and you don't have tosay something like that and it.
But it is a very, very covetedit's award, it's very, and you
received that in what year?
Kathy Alexander (01:54):
Nineteen, ninety four.
Jodie (01:54):
Nineteen, ninety four, and you had only so.
You were a go getter from thevery start of going into the ski
patrol, and that is awesome.
That is an amazing work.
Tell us a little bit about someinto the ski patrol, and that
is awesome.
That is an amazing work.
Tell us a little bit about someof the other ones.
Kathy Alexander (02:07):
Well, that was the first award I got and I was
the first paid patroller and thefirst female on the Mount
Boucher patrols, because inthose days the paid and
volunteer were one patrol and Iwas very, very honored.
And I remember it was at theSun River Resort at our spring
banquet, and they startedtalking about this person and I
(02:29):
went oh okay, they've done a lotof stuff.
It wasn't until they called myname that I realized it was me.
And they still go through thattradition, like we do at the PNW
Division Convention.
You line up according to yournumbers and then you get
congratulated all the way downthe line of your new number.
I was very, very honored.
(02:50):
I remember calling my mom andcrying.
I just got you know and myfamily knew I was into all this
outdoor stuff.
But you know, until youactually you know I told my mom
first, until you actually youknow I told my mom first that
same year.
Well, the next year I wasrecognized nationally as the
(03:13):
gold medal star for instructor,national Instructor of the Year,
and then I got at ArapahoeBasin at a National Instructor
Convention and it was forinstructor of anything.
Now, you know, some divisionsnow have they recognize the OEC
instructor and an overallinstructor.
This was just from the nationand that was an honor, and also
(03:36):
to get it in front of peoplefrom all over the nation was a
very, very honor and actually Igot another gold medal star and
it was the NationalPro-Patroller of the Year 95 and
96.
Wow, yeah.
And my next star and I can'tremember what I got this for.
(03:58):
I have to go back throughrecords I did get a yellow merit
star in 1998.
So I remember people.
You know there's one who says,oh, I have three or four stars,
and I said, well, I have three.
Jodie (04:13):
But you don't just have three stars, kathy, you have
gold merit stars.
Now, gold merit stars are thetop.
You can't go any higher than agold star, and that is.
You have won outside the whole,all the nation, as all the
divisions, and that's an awesomehonor, awesome honor.
(04:35):
You got an MSA MeritoriousService Award.
Kathy Alexander (04:42):
Yes, and that was in 19, 2016 I keep, I keep
looking 2016, and I also got thepatrol across.
What was that?
And that was that was in 16 aswell, from saniyam pass, and
that was the year I had breastcancer.
Oh and yeah, that's right.
Yeah, so I was in and out ofpatrolling just because of my
(05:05):
surgeries.
Jodie (05:06):
That's amazing.
Kathy Alexander (05:09):
Yeah, so that was the patrol across.
The one award that I recentlywas awarded in 23 meant an awful
lot because the National SkiPatrol in the Pacific Northwest
Division I don't remember themgiving out very many of these
and I remember a few people inour patrol and around the
(05:30):
division.
They're given at the conventionso they're recognized by
everybody in our division wasthe Distinguished Service Award.
Jodie (05:37):
Yes.
Kathy Alexander (05:38):
In 2023.
Jodie (05:40):
I remember that.
That, oh, what an honor.
That is amazing.
Kathy Alexander (05:45):
And sitting at the table with two people that
received that honor and theywere starting to read all the
accomplishments and they didn'tsay she or he, it was just this
patroller, this patroller.
And they got down the list andthey kept talking and talking
and somebody at the table lookedat me and said is that you?
And I said, oh, they've donethe same thing I have.
(06:06):
And then they called my name.
So I was very never.
And that's what's so interestingabout all these you never
expect a badge.
And I call it a badge becausesome people want they do things,
because they want a badge Rightand they want to look good.
And this is I've never donethat.
(06:26):
To be honored like this andreceive an award for something
that to me, it's like it's partof the job.
And you hate to say, like whenpeople say thank you for doing
that, and I go, oh, it's justthe job, it isn't just the job,
it's the service, it's yourgiving back and honoring and
teaching and doing things.
And that's why I take a look atall these honors and it is a
(06:48):
tremendous honor to receive allthese awards and be recognized.
Jodie (06:52):
Absolutely.
You know it is something andget in here a little closer.
This is something that is sotrue, whether you say it's,
whether it's the badge, it's,it's the award.
Like we have said, no one goes.
Ninety nine percent of thepeople don't go in saying that
they want a badge, they want toget this or want to get that,
(07:15):
and it brings back the wholething of of what the NSP Creed,
national Ski Patrol's Creed of1938 is service and safety.
National Ski Patrol's creed of1938 is service and safety.
And it is so nice that you, likeyou said, we have all these
amazing opportunities to be ableto, to also learn new things,
but also return it and share itwith new people, et cetera, and
(07:36):
also different places, and andyou learn how one place works, a
different, and it's it's thatback and forth of giving and
it's the wonderful part of beinga volunteer and it's just, it's
amazing.
Speaking of volunteer, whatwould you, if you had thoughts
of new people coming in?
I'm going to I'm actuallybreaking this down into you have
(08:00):
any thoughts, words of wisdom,pearls for a new person
considering joining the patrolor getting started, or maybe
midway, that now that you cansay OK, I've sat here for a few
years and been able to sort ofsee changes, pros and cons et
cetera.
But what would you offer onvarious stages of entering NSP?
Kathy Alexander (08:23):
I think I would first find out what their goals
are Good point and what theyexpect from Ski Patrol.
What do they expect If they'recoming up to Hoodoo?
And they've skied there sincethey were six years old and
they've always looked up to SkiPatrol and they thought this is
cool, I wear a jacket, I get toride a snowmobile, I can pull a
(08:45):
sled, I get to ride a snowmobile, I can pull a sled Just to find
out.
You know why they chose SkiPatrol to be a service
organization that they'd like tojoin, and what do they expect
to get out of it?
Do they want more education?
Do they just want a season passfor their family to ski for
free?
And then, depending on whatthey ask, to let them know.
(09:09):
We just don't go up on thosebluebird days.
It could be raining, it couldbe dumping, it could be a
whiteout, and we're expectedit's your duty day and we're
expected to be out there.
The public are out there skiingin the same conditions we are.
So sometimes they think, ohwell, I've only been up there on
(09:30):
the nice days and not realize.
You know, or not realize whoathis first aid class is.
How many chapters in our books,online reading.
How much hands-on do I need todo?
What is my research?
Do I have to go to thatrefresher every year?
I take my CPR skills every year.
(09:51):
I have to show an instructorevery year.
So the expectations.
I think that's what I think anew person, or even midway,
because they may have beeninterviewed and said oh yes,
we'd like to have you on ourpatrol and start taking the OEC
class or ski with us for 10 daysand see what you like and
everything.
But I think to find out and letthem know this is what it
(10:14):
entails.
And yes, there are many days.
Yes, we are a family.
Yes, we check up on each other.
Yes, we have some fun days.
You know, I want to incorporatethe Saturday night potlucks and
do a theme thing to encouragemore people to either stay or
contribute and then go homeearly.
You know that kind of thing.
So there is some fun time.
(10:36):
It's not all pulling sleds andgoing out there in the ugly
weather.
Jodie (10:42):
We do have some fun times too.
That's awesome.
What about encouraging peopleto stick around now that they've
had that training?
Let's say they're sort of wheresome people call a seven-year
itch or going.
Well, I'm not sure Do I stillwant what would be some?
Kathy Alexander (11:01):
thoughts or your own thoughts on that.
I think what they'd have to dois take a look at their home
life.
They might be single, theymight have family, they might
have kids, little kids, and thewife doesn't like being home
every weekend while you go outskiing because she thinks you're
just skiing and having fun.
She doesn't realize that you'reworking and jobs.
(11:22):
People tend to stay on a job somany years and move on.
Not too many people get thatgold chain watch after 50 years
of being in a company, so peopleare more mobile.
But I think to encourage themthat if you do leave because you
have to move or you're going tograd school or whatever, that
(11:44):
there are ski areas in that newarea and if you want to continue
your ski patrol career, I callit, go in and check it out.
And then there are people thatjust have burnout.
But they do burnout regardlessof where they are.
And then health-wise, you know,at Baxter I had many people
(12:05):
when they weren't the medicalfield wasn't too giving new
knees.
When people needed them 30 and40 years ago they kind of were
crippled and used two ski polesjust to walk down the street and
get in and out of their car Nowwith medical stuff.
They have a new hip and they'reskiing the next year.
Jodie (12:25):
Yep.
Kathy Alexander (12:26):
A knee replacement in 2007 and I'm
still skiing.
So medical advances make itkind of nice for people to age
and still be able to do stuffand then maybe now with the
alumni, encourage them to stayin for alumni.
And some alumni are stillpretty active with their patrol.
(12:47):
They may not go up on duty daysbut if they're an instructor
they still help out, maybe OECrefreshers or when they're doing
OET training or maybe they'reteaching in an avalanche class.
So some folks kind of go awayfully and other people are still
involved somehow.
Jodie (13:06):
Right, and it doesn't mean that people can't turn
around and come back, you know,take a break and then maybe
coming back and seeing what'shappening or, like you said,
with different life changes, etcetera.
But something that we ask ofeverybody and this is near and
dear to my heart and obviouslyit's going to be for you but
(13:26):
when you hear the word, I shouldsay, when you hear this phrase,
what does it sort of mean toyou in the past?
Or NSPs at and coming into thefuture?
And that is our creed of 1938service and safety.
How have you seen that sort ofchange over the years and any
thoughts on that?
Kathy Alexander (13:47):
I haven't seen it change much because we're
still serving the skiing publicor year-round there's some
year-round resorts with bikepatrols and stuff and the safety
aspect has always been there.
If I'm not safe and I feeluncomfortable I have refused to
(14:09):
get on a chairlift one daybecause the weather at the top
was so bad and people couldn'tsee and as the risk manager I
made a comment and said I thinkthis chair should shut down
because I don't feel safe and ifI'm not safe, I'm not serving
the public safely.
Jodie (14:30):
Right.
Kathy Alexander (14:30):
I think with our safety programs we came out
with the skiers code ofresponsibility.
It's changed recently, alwaysmade it known to folks.
It's always, I think, it ticketwindows.
It's posted so people are awareof it, whether they read it or
not.
If they still get some tickets,have responsibility code on the
(14:51):
back.
Teach it in the ski classes.
I love writing lists.
At Hoodoo Ski Area Kids ridewith me.
There's preteens and they wantto know.
They think it is so cool toride with a ski patroller and I
always talk.
I'm not the ski patroller wholooks straight ahead and ignores
(15:13):
people on the lift.
If they want to talk, I'll talkto them.
So when kids say to me and I gookay, here's a question for you
.
You're skiing and somebodyfalls right in front of you,
what do you do?
And the kids go, oh well, I tryto stop or I go around them.
They're the downhill person,you don't have eyes in back of
(15:35):
their head, so you need to stopor you run them over.
Then you might get hurt too.
So I always like to talk, youknow, on the to people or in the
lodge with safety programs.
Jodie (15:48):
Yeah, and you and I are totally 100% on this.
It is so valuable of takingthat opportunity on a chairlift
and you know it's just pointingout, hey, do you see that guy?
What would you do?
And it's like you said, theyrespect, they look up.
And here is an opportunity.
You talk about recruitment,retention, instill into a young
(16:11):
man's, a young woman's thoughtprocesses, one of safety.
Two, you never know, they mayever want to continue on into
the youth adult program of skipatrol, or we in the PNWD have
spy listed as, but it's alsojust, it's, it's helping someone
and you don't want other peopleto get injured.
(16:32):
You had mentioned in fact, thatbrought back another question I
had.
You had said that there was,you know, a lot of cases where
you were like 25 in a day orwhatever so many, or you had to
get the sled back up.
Do you think that it wasdifferent ways of equipment
skiing or how people were goingfaster, any thoughts of, or just
(16:53):
new people?
This is something that actually, from COVID was mentioned, that
you had.
When COVID you had a lot ofbrand new people getting out to
ski so they could get out and soyou had different injuries and
stuff like that.
But going back in the timewhere you mentioned about Mount
Bachelor, any thoughts of maybewhy things were as busy, or or?
Kathy Alexander (17:16):
not, I think it was numbers.
On the Hill, when you have11,000 skiers and a day and 10
got hurt, that's a small percent, right?
I did as risk manager to umcharts of.
So many were beginners, theywere on beginner runs and these
(17:39):
were the injuries they, you know, were they on rentals?
Were they on their ownequipment or borrowed equipment,
which is, yeah, we don't seemuch of that anymore, but every
now and then.
Oh yeah, he just had it in hisgarage and I don't have to pay
for rentals.
I just use these 49 year oldskis with these old boots, year
old skis with these old boots.
But I think it's numbers.
And when a small ski area, Iremember a couple of days this
(18:04):
year we went woohoo, we didn'thave any accidents, nobody even
walked inside for a bandaid.
This is a good day.
Now somebody might've gone homewith a twisted knee and thought
I don't want ski patrol.
I got myself down, I'm justgoing to go home, put some ice
on it, take some ibuprofen andI'll be fine.
So there are going to be apercentage of people that we
(18:26):
don't see, but for the most part, people realize that, being a
safety rescue organization aswell, you don't I've convinced
people to come in a sled.
If you fall again, you may hurtthe other knee.
Now you have two bum knees.
Or I had somebody who insistedon skiing down with a dislocated
shoulder and she got halfwaydown and looked at me and said I
(18:49):
can't do this, I'm hurting toomuch.
Yeah, I can put it in a slingand put you in a sled and get
you down a lot faster.
You know we call for theambulance so you can get pain
meds and go to the hospital andhave this reduced.
So I think the numbers aregoing to depend on your area.
If you have a lot of accidentsand you're a very small area,
then you tend to wonder what'scausing this.
(19:11):
Is it, you know, like we have atrain park?
If everybody's getting hurt onthe same jump and five or six
people got hurt, do we closethat off for now, not let
anybody else use it?
They can use the rest of thepark.
Then we take a look at it.
Do we need to redesign this?
Do we need to chop it down witha groomer at night and start
(19:33):
all over, or just eliminate thistotally?
You have to take a look at theanalysis of what's going on with
accidents and then decide youknow, if we had thousands of
accidents a day, then you go.
My goodness, you know what'sgoing on here.
Something's going on andthey're all getting hurt on the
same, you know run.
Well, maybe we need to closethis one.
Jodie (19:56):
Yep, well, I got to tell you, kathy, this has been such a
pleasure and an honor to beable to talk to you and learn so
much more.
I mean there's a lot that Ididn't realize that we were just
total parallel with et ceteraand different experiences, but
oh my goodness, all this otherstuff.
(20:16):
It has just been amazing and Iso appreciate your dedication to
National Ski Patrol, the firedepartment, the lifeguarding.
I mean you have got yourcommunity of service beyond
after working, et cetera.
I just it has been a privilegeand an honor to know you and
work side by side with you and Ican't thank you enough for
(20:39):
sharing the history of so muchand this has really helped.
I really really appreciate it.
Kathy Alexander (20:47):
And thank you.
Same to you.
I just have one thing to add.
I don't know if you wanted touse this, but oh, no, you go
right ahead.
A few months ago, probably inlate March, people started
coming up to me.
My neighbor across the streetcame up to me and said
somebody's looking for you onFacebook and I said, well, I
don't do Facebook, I don't doInstagram, you know, and that
(21:11):
I'm private, you know.
As I said, I don't boast aboutmy accomplishments.
It makes me feel good, but youknow.
And so the guy across thestreet said this and he showed
me a picture of me in anAmerican Red Cross newsletter
(21:32):
being honored as a hero forsaving somebody's life.
And I thought, well, I've beenon many scenes where people
don't make it.
I've been on many scenes whichwe did make a difference in
their lives by taking care ofthem soon, and didn't have much
information on how to get backin touch with this young guy.
(21:53):
And I went online and found out.
Originally he was from the westside of the mountains 21 years
ago and he was injured the daybefore he was 15 years old.
He was in the snow park, turingPark, on a snowboard and he got
hurt and he wasn't feeling verygood and that night he had
(22:17):
skipped school.
His parents were in California,so he skipped school on
Thursday and Friday and a 16year old drove him to Lapine
where they knew another guybecause they were on the
wrestling team together and theystayed at his house, went
skiing at bachelor on Friday Hisparents don't know where he is
he ski and then on Saturday hegoes up with them.
(22:38):
So he didn't feel good thatmorning so he said I'm not going
out.
There was a teen room.
We gave this room to the teenswhere they could have their own
space and not bother the rest ofthe community in the ski area
and we were supposed to check onthem from time to time.
So I went in and I saw thisbundle of clothes and said, hey,
underneath there, are you okay?
(22:59):
And he said no, I keep passingout whenever I sit up.
So I said okay, well, tell mewhat happened, are you hurt?
And he showed me his side.
So on his left side he had bigbruise on his ribs and told me
he had fallen the day before andI thought, okay, he's
internally bleeding.
This is not good.
He had fallen the day beforeand I thought, okay, he's
(23:19):
internally bleeding, this is notgood.
Called the patrol, which wasnext door in another building,
had first aid gear brought over,oxygen, et cetera at a
backboard, called for ahelicopter, took his blood
pressure and went okay, for a15-year-old kid, this is not
good.
I knew that he needed to be inthe hospital and he went down by
helicopter.
I found out that his parentswere in California.
(23:39):
He didn't know cell phones 21years ago so we couldn't call
parents and he didn't know whathis grandmother's last name was.
So we found it and called them.
I went to visit him in thehospital on Saturday night,
after I flew him, and Sunday,because his parents didn't show
up till Monday and he was alonein ICU and they decided that his
spleen was bleeding butencapsulated.
(24:02):
It was so swollen.
It was not bleeding internallybut it was giving him low blood
pressure.
He had mononucleosis, which iswhy his spleen was swollen from
wrestling.
They're on that mat togethersweating and whatever, and his
mother called Red Cross and saidI want to honor her somehow.
So I was honored that spring ata breakfast and given a little
(24:25):
plaque.
So 21 years later I see he'strying to get in touch with me.
So I went online and found outhe lives two towns away from me.
So I called his businessbecause he didn't have his home
phone and they said oh, he justsold the HVAC business to us in
January.
He doesn't work here anymore.
And this was April.
(24:46):
I said will you tell?
If you hear from him?
Tell him I need to get in touchwith him.
He's looking for me.
I get a text message from him.
He came to my house with hisfiance.
Now he has three children.
She has three children.
It's the Grady bunch.
And he came to my house and wetalked a little bit and then he
(25:07):
arranged for Central OregonDaily, a local TV station, to
come out to Prineville and meetthe two of us and do a story on
us.
I have cried because a lot oftimes I would say most of the
time in my career I never get afollow-up like this and to get a
(25:29):
person who is now 36 years old.
He spent eight years in theNavy trying to find himself.
He had his own HVAC business.
He's got three kids.
Now he's a single parentraising them alone, has a fiance
.
They're getting married soon.
I'll be there.
That is so cool, yeah, so I texthim every week to find out how
(25:52):
he's doing.
He hadn't seen his mother andfather in six years.
They didn't like what he wasdoing in his home life and his
divorce and he invited them overon Mother's Day and Father's
Day from the Valley and they arenow back together too.
I encouraged it.
I said you know it's short life.
He and I have a connection nowand I so appreciate him.
(26:15):
It's kind of like having a son.
I don't have kids.
I have dogs.
Yeah, it's something with skipatrol.
You never expect this, that 21years later somebody searches
for you to say thank you and youdon't want to say to him it was
my job, you know it's life.
(26:36):
And to have a young person thengo through for 21 years and now
decide that he wants to find meto say thank you, it's, yeah,
pretty amazing.
Jodie (26:47):
Oh, that is so amazing, kathy.
I mean it is so wonderful tohave that.
It's so wonderful to have that,like you said, number one 90%
of the people we have no cluewhat's happened, how they're
doing any better.
But I mean you directly, withyour training, your expertise,
(27:15):
you got him the needed treatmentright away and, as you said,
look, you definitely made animpact in his life.
I mean you go above and beyondthe call of duty.
You're being with him whenthere's no one else is there.
I, I, that is that is aweinspiring.
I mean it is such a comfort inthe heart.
I just, oh, you got to takethose good feels and, like you
(27:37):
said, people don't do it for theother part, but it is so nice
to be able to have thatexperience.
I mean to know, and then, look,I mean you stay in touch and
that is just oh, wow, that isjust so cool.
Yeah, oh, kathy, thank you somuch, but that is.
(27:59):
I totally thank you forbringing that up, because I
totally forgot about that partand that is a definite need to
have that.
Kathy Alexander (28:08):
Well, it's just like the man who was in cardiac
arrest in the Audubon, that'sright, him and his wife show up
three weeks later and to haveeverybody gathered who was on
that scene and say thank you.
That man knew that if thingsweren't done immediately which
they were and get him to theright place, even though Life
(28:30):
Flight was going to be in in 44minutes, when I heard that when
I'm at landing, I went holy shit, we can't do CPR for 44 minutes
.
But then Cam Sherman, mysisters, were there to start the
cardiac drugs.
But then he woke up before thehelicopter landed.
It was just well, yeah.
Jodie (28:52):
That's rare.
Kathy Alexander (28:53):
Yeah, it is because I've done CPR many times
, and half the times they don'twalk out of the hospital.
They don't, they don't liveenough to get to the hospital.
Jodie (29:04):
Yeah, that is a high majority, unfortunately, so but,
thank you.
Oh, no, thank you, and it hasbeen a pleasure talking to us
and we'll see you at the nexttime for Patroller Chats.
Kathy, we're going to morph into another section.
Not only have you been in theski patrol system for a few
decades here and been able tosee so much.
Let's give some kudos toyourself.
And no one that I know of goesinto the ski patrol saying I
want to get an award.
That's not why we're here inany sense or fashion, but dang
(00:25):
it.
Recognition needs recognitionand you have put an amazing
amount of time and differentthings.
You have just a few awardsunderneath your belt and you
probably deserve 100 more, butlet's talk about them a little
bit, if you don't mind.
You have, first off, what isyour national appointment number
?
Kathy Alexander (00:45):
7907.
Jodie (00:48):
And this is something that Murphy and I keep
forgetting to tell peoplebecause we get laughing so hard
because we're like oh so thereis this sort of common thing and
I don't know if it's just PNWDor if this is everywhere in the
NSP system but it is sort of theunwritten rule If you have a
national appointment or aleadership accommodation award,
(01:08):
that if you don't speak up yournumber right off, then you owe a
beverage of choice to theperson that has challenged you
for this.
So we have gotten one.
Kathy Alexander (01:20):
So so far we still, we still do that, we
still do that, and I know acouple of ski patrollers that
have actually written theirnumber on the back of a glove.
Jodie (01:32):
No.
Kathy Alexander (01:33):
So that when somebody asks them, they just
look down and go there it is.
Jodie (01:37):
That's actually a smart idea, yeah, because they never
remember and you don't have tosay something like that and it.
But it is a very, very covetedit's award, it's very, and you
received that in what year?
Kathy Alexander (01:54):
Nineteen, ninety four.
Jodie (01:54):
Nineteen, ninety four, and you had only so.
You were a go getter from thevery start of going into the ski
patrol, and that is awesome.
That is an amazing work.
Tell us a little bit about someinto the ski patrol, and that
is awesome.
That is an amazing work.
Tell us a little bit about someof the other ones.
Kathy Alexander (02:07):
Well, that was the first award I got and I was
the first paid patroller and thefirst female on the Mount
Boucher patrols, because inthose days the paid and
volunteer were one patrol and Iwas very, very honored.
And I remember it was at theSun River Resort at our spring
banquet, and they startedtalking about this person and I
(02:29):
went oh okay, they've done a lotof stuff.
It wasn't until they called myname that I realized it was me.
And they still go through thattradition, like we do at the PNW
Division Convention.
You line up according to yournumbers and then you get
congratulated all the way downthe line of your new number.
I was very, very honored.
(02:50):
I remember calling my mom andcrying.
I just got you know and myfamily knew I was into all this
outdoor stuff.
But you know, until youactually you know I told my mom
first, until you actually youknow I told my mom first that
same year.
Well, the next year I wasrecognized nationally as the
(03:13):
gold medal star for instructor,national Instructor of the Year,
and then I got at ArapahoeBasin at a National Instructor
Convention and it was forinstructor of anything.
Now, you know, some divisionsnow have they recognize the OEC
instructor and an overallinstructor.
This was just from the nationand that was an honor, and also
(03:36):
to get it in front of peoplefrom all over the nation was a
very, very honor and actually Igot another gold medal star and
it was the NationalPro-Patroller of the Year 95 and
96.
Wow, yeah.
And my next star and I can'tremember what I got this for.
(03:58):
I have to go back throughrecords I did get a yellow merit
star in 1998.
So I remember people.
You know there's one who says,oh, I have three or four stars,
and I said, well, I have three.
Jodie (04:13):
But you don't just have three stars, kathy, you have
gold merit stars.
Now, gold merit stars are thetop.
You can't go any higher than agold star, and that is.
You have won outside the whole,all the nation, as all the
divisions, and that's an awesomehonor, awesome honor.
(04:35):
You got an MSA MeritoriousService Award.
Kathy Alexander (04:42):
Yes, and that was in 19, 2016 I keep, I keep
looking 2016, and I also got thepatrol across.
What was that?
And that was that was in 16 aswell, from saniyam pass, and
that was the year I had breastcancer.
Oh and yeah, that's right.
Yeah, so I was in and out ofpatrolling just because of my
(05:05):
surgeries.
Jodie (05:06):
That's amazing.
Kathy Alexander (05:09):
Yeah, so that was the patrol across.
The one award that I recentlywas awarded in 23 meant an awful
lot because the National SkiPatrol in the Pacific Northwest
Division I don't remember themgiving out very many of these
and I remember a few people inour patrol and around the
(05:30):
division.
They're given at the conventionso they're recognized by
everybody in our division wasthe Distinguished Service Award.
Jodie (05:37):
Yes.
Kathy Alexander (05:38):
In 2023.
Jodie (05:40):
I remember that.
That, oh, what an honor.
That is amazing.
Kathy Alexander (05:45):
And sitting at the table with two people that
received that honor and theywere starting to read all the
accomplishments and they didn'tsay she or he, it was just this
patroller, this patroller.
And they got down the list andthey kept talking and talking
and somebody at the table lookedat me and said is that you?
And I said, oh, they've donethe same thing I have.
(06:06):
And then they called my name.
So I was very never.
And that's what's so interestingabout all these you never
expect a badge.
And I call it a badge becausesome people want they do things,
because they want a badge Rightand they want to look good.
And this is I've never donethat.
(06:26):
To be honored like this andreceive an award for something
that to me, it's like it's partof the job.
And you hate to say, like whenpeople say thank you for doing
that, and I go, oh, it's justthe job, it isn't just the job,
it's the service, it's yourgiving back and honoring and
teaching and doing things.
And that's why I take a look atall these honors and it is a
(06:48):
tremendous honor to receive allthese awards and be recognized.
Jodie (06:52):
Absolutely.
You know it is something andget in here a little closer.
This is something that is sotrue, whether you say it's,
whether it's the badge, it's,it's the award.
Like we have said, no one goes.
Ninety nine percent of thepeople don't go in saying that
they want a badge, they want toget this or want to get that,
(07:15):
and it brings back the wholething of of what the NSP Creed,
national Ski Patrol's Creed of1938 is service and safety.
National Ski Patrol's creed of1938 is service and safety.
And it is so nice that you, likeyou said, we have all these
amazing opportunities to be ableto, to also learn new things,
but also return it and share itwith new people, et cetera, and
(07:36):
also different places, and andyou learn how one place works, a
different, and it's it's thatback and forth of giving and
it's the wonderful part of beinga volunteer and it's just, it's
amazing.
Speaking of volunteer, whatwould you, if you had thoughts
of new people coming in?
I'm going to I'm actuallybreaking this down into you have
(08:00):
any thoughts, words of wisdom,pearls for a new person
considering joining the patrolor getting started, or maybe
midway, that now that you cansay OK, I've sat here for a few
years and been able to sort ofsee changes, pros and cons et
cetera.
But what would you offer onvarious stages of entering NSP?
Kathy Alexander (08:23):
I think I would first find out what their goals
are Good point and what theyexpect from Ski Patrol.
What do they expect If they'recoming up to Hoodoo?
And they've skied there sincethey were six years old and
they've always looked up to SkiPatrol and they thought this is
cool, I wear a jacket, I get toride a snowmobile, I can pull a
(08:45):
sled, I get to ride a snowmobile, I can pull a sled Just to find
out.
You know why they chose SkiPatrol to be a service
organization that they'd like tojoin, and what do they expect
to get out of it?
Do they want more education?
Do they just want a season passfor their family to ski for
free?
And then, depending on whatthey ask, to let them know.
(09:09):
We just don't go up on thosebluebird days.
It could be raining, it couldbe dumping, it could be a
whiteout, and we're expectedit's your duty day and we're
expected to be out there.
The public are out there skiingin the same conditions we are.
So sometimes they think, ohwell, I've only been up there on
(09:30):
the nice days and not realize.
You know, or not realize whoathis first aid class is.
How many chapters in our books,online reading.
How much hands-on do I need todo?
What is my research?
Do I have to go to thatrefresher every year?
I take my CPR skills every year.
(09:51):
I have to show an instructorevery year.
So the expectations.
I think that's what I think anew person, or even midway,
because they may have beeninterviewed and said oh yes,
we'd like to have you on ourpatrol and start taking the OEC
class or ski with us for 10 daysand see what you like and
everything.
But I think to find out and letthem know this is what it
(10:14):
entails.
And yes, there are many days.
Yes, we are a family.
Yes, we check up on each other.
Yes, we have some fun days.
You know, I want to incorporatethe Saturday night potlucks and
do a theme thing to encouragemore people to either stay or
contribute and then go homeearly.
You know that kind of thing.
So there is some fun time.
(10:36):
It's not all pulling sleds andgoing out there in the ugly
weather.
Jodie (10:42):
We do have some fun times too.
That's awesome.
What about encouraging peopleto stick around now that they've
had that training?
Let's say they're sort of wheresome people call a seven-year
itch or going.
Well, I'm not sure Do I stillwant what would be some?
Kathy Alexander (11:01):
thoughts or your own thoughts on that.
I think what they'd have to dois take a look at their home
life.
They might be single, theymight have family, they might
have kids, little kids, and thewife doesn't like being home
every weekend while you go outskiing because she thinks you're
just skiing and having fun.
She doesn't realize that you'reworking and jobs.
(11:22):
People tend to stay on a job somany years and move on.
Not too many people get thatgold chain watch after 50 years
of being in a company, so peopleare more mobile.
But I think to encourage themthat if you do leave because you
have to move or you're going tograd school or whatever, that
(11:44):
there are ski areas in that newarea and if you want to continue
your ski patrol career, I callit, go in and check it out.
And then there are people thatjust have burnout.
But they do burnout regardlessof where they are.
And then health-wise, you know,at Baxter I had many people
(12:05):
when they weren't the medicalfield wasn't too giving new
knees.
When people needed them 30 and40 years ago they kind of were
crippled and used two ski polesjust to walk down the street and
get in and out of their car Nowwith medical stuff.
They have a new hip and they'reskiing the next year.
Jodie (12:25):
Yep.
Kathy Alexander (12:26):
A knee replacement in 2007 and I'm
still skiing.
So medical advances make itkind of nice for people to age
and still be able to do stuffand then maybe now with the
alumni, encourage them to stayin for alumni.
And some alumni are stillpretty active with their patrol.
(12:47):
They may not go up on duty daysbut if they're an instructor
they still help out, maybe OECrefreshers or when they're doing
OET training or maybe they'reteaching in an avalanche class.
So some folks kind of go awayfully and other people are still
involved somehow.
Jodie (13:06):
Right, and it doesn't mean that people can't turn
around and come back, you know,take a break and then maybe
coming back and seeing what'shappening or, like you said,
with different life changes, etcetera.
But something that we ask ofeverybody and this is near and
dear to my heart and obviouslyit's going to be for you but
(13:26):
when you hear the word, I shouldsay, when you hear this phrase,
what does it sort of mean toyou in the past?
Or NSPs at and coming into thefuture?
And that is our creed of 1938service and safety.
How have you seen that sort ofchange over the years and any
thoughts on that?
Kathy Alexander (13:47):
I haven't seen it change much because we're
still serving the skiing publicor year-round there's some
year-round resorts with bikepatrols and stuff and the safety
aspect has always been there.
If I'm not safe and I feeluncomfortable I have refused to
(14:09):
get on a chairlift one daybecause the weather at the top
was so bad and people couldn'tsee and as the risk manager I
made a comment and said I thinkthis chair should shut down
because I don't feel safe and ifI'm not safe, I'm not serving
the public safely.
Jodie (14:30):
Right.
Kathy Alexander (14:30):
I think with our safety programs we came out
with the skiers code ofresponsibility.
It's changed recently, alwaysmade it known to folks.
It's always, I think, it ticketwindows.
It's posted so people are awareof it, whether they read it or
not.
If they still get some tickets,have responsibility code on the
(14:51):
back.
Teach it in the ski classes.
I love writing lists.
At Hoodoo Ski Area Kids ridewith me.
There's preteens and they wantto know.
They think it is so cool toride with a ski patroller and I
always talk.
I'm not the ski patroller wholooks straight ahead and ignores
(15:13):
people on the lift.
If they want to talk, I'll talkto them.
So when kids say to me and I gookay, here's a question for you
.
You're skiing and somebodyfalls right in front of you,
what do you do?
And the kids go, oh well, I tryto stop or I go around them.
They're the downhill person,you don't have eyes in back of
(15:35):
their head, so you need to stopor you run them over.
Then you might get hurt too.
So I always like to talk, youknow, on the to people or in the
lodge with safety programs.
Jodie (15:48):
Yeah, and you and I are totally 100% on this.
It is so valuable of takingthat opportunity on a chairlift
and you know it's just pointingout, hey, do you see that guy?
What would you do?
And it's like you said, theyrespect, they look up.
And here is an opportunity.
You talk about recruitment,retention, instill into a young
(16:11):
man's, a young woman's thoughtprocesses, one of safety.
Two, you never know, they mayever want to continue on into
the youth adult program of skipatrol, or we in the PNWD have
spy listed as, but it's alsojust, it's, it's helping someone
and you don't want other peopleto get injured.
(16:32):
You had mentioned in fact, thatbrought back another question I
had.
You had said that there was,you know, a lot of cases where
you were like 25 in a day orwhatever so many, or you had to
get the sled back up.
Do you think that it wasdifferent ways of equipment
skiing or how people were goingfaster, any thoughts of, or just
(16:53):
new people?
This is something that actually, from COVID was mentioned, that
you had.
When COVID you had a lot ofbrand new people getting out to
ski so they could get out and soyou had different injuries and
stuff like that.
But going back in the timewhere you mentioned about Mount
Bachelor, any thoughts of maybewhy things were as busy, or or?
Kathy Alexander (17:16):
not, I think it was numbers.
On the Hill, when you have11,000 skiers and a day and 10
got hurt, that's a small percent, right?
I did as risk manager to umcharts of.
So many were beginners, theywere on beginner runs and these
(17:39):
were the injuries they, you know, were they on rentals?
Were they on their ownequipment or borrowed equipment,
which is, yeah, we don't seemuch of that anymore, but every
now and then.
Oh yeah, he just had it in hisgarage and I don't have to pay
for rentals.
I just use these 49 year oldskis with these old boots, year
old skis with these old boots.
But I think it's numbers.
And when a small ski area, Iremember a couple of days this
(18:04):
year we went woohoo, we didn'thave any accidents, nobody even
walked inside for a bandaid.
This is a good day.
Now somebody might've gone homewith a twisted knee and thought
I don't want ski patrol.
I got myself down, I'm justgoing to go home, put some ice
on it, take some ibuprofen andI'll be fine.
So there are going to be apercentage of people that we
(18:26):
don't see, but for the most part, people realize that, being a
safety rescue organization aswell, you don't I've convinced
people to come in a sled.
If you fall again, you may hurtthe other knee.
Now you have two bum knees.
Or I had somebody who insistedon skiing down with a dislocated
shoulder and she got halfwaydown and looked at me and said I
(18:49):
can't do this, I'm hurting toomuch.
Yeah, I can put it in a slingand put you in a sled and get
you down a lot faster.
You know we call for theambulance so you can get pain
meds and go to the hospital andhave this reduced.
So I think the numbers aregoing to depend on your area.
If you have a lot of accidentsand you're a very small area,
then you tend to wonder what'scausing this.
(19:11):
Is it, you know, like we have atrain park?
If everybody's getting hurt onthe same jump and five or six
people got hurt, do we closethat off for now, not let
anybody else use it?
They can use the rest of thepark.
Then we take a look at it.
Do we need to redesign this?
Do we need to chop it down witha groomer at night and start
(19:33):
all over, or just eliminate thistotally?
You have to take a look at theanalysis of what's going on with
accidents and then decide youknow, if we had thousands of
accidents a day, then you go.
My goodness, you know what'sgoing on here.
Something's going on andthey're all getting hurt on the
same, you know run.
Well, maybe we need to closethis one.
Jodie (19:56):
Yep, well, I got to tell you, kathy, this has been such a
pleasure and an honor to beable to talk to you and learn so
much more.
I mean there's a lot that Ididn't realize that we were just
total parallel with et ceteraand different experiences, but
oh my goodness, all this otherstuff.
(20:16):
It has just been amazing and Iso appreciate your dedication to
National Ski Patrol, the firedepartment, the lifeguarding.
I mean you have got yourcommunity of service beyond
after working, et cetera.
I just it has been a privilegeand an honor to know you and
work side by side with you and Ican't thank you enough for
(20:39):
sharing the history of so muchand this has really helped.
I really really appreciate it.
Kathy Alexander (20:47):
And thank you.
Same to you.
I just have one thing to add.
I don't know if you wanted touse this, but oh, no, you go
right ahead.
A few months ago, probably inlate March, people started
coming up to me.
My neighbor across the streetcame up to me and said
somebody's looking for you onFacebook and I said, well, I
don't do Facebook, I don't doInstagram, you know, and that
(21:11):
I'm private, you know.
As I said, I don't boast aboutmy accomplishments.
It makes me feel good, but youknow.
And so the guy across thestreet said this and he showed
me a picture of me in anAmerican Red Cross newsletter
(21:32):
being honored as a hero forsaving somebody's life.
And I thought, well, I've beenon many scenes where people
don't make it.
I've been on many scenes whichwe did make a difference in
their lives by taking care ofthem soon, and didn't have much
information on how to get backin touch with this young guy.
(21:53):
And I went online and found out.
Originally he was from the westside of the mountains 21 years
ago and he was injured the daybefore he was 15 years old.
He was in the snow park, turingPark, on a snowboard and he got
hurt and he wasn't feeling verygood and that night he had
(22:17):
skipped school.
His parents were in California,so he skipped school on
Thursday and Friday and a 16year old drove him to Lapine
where they knew another guybecause they were on the
wrestling team together and theystayed at his house, went
skiing at bachelor on Friday Hisparents don't know where he is
he ski and then on Saturday hegoes up with them.
(22:38):
So he didn't feel good thatmorning so he said I'm not going
out.
There was a teen room.
We gave this room to the teenswhere they could have their own
space and not bother the rest ofthe community in the ski area
and we were supposed to check onthem from time to time.
So I went in and I saw thisbundle of clothes and said, hey,
underneath there, are you okay?
(22:59):
And he said no, I keep passingout whenever I sit up.
So I said okay, well, tell mewhat happened, are you hurt?
And he showed me his side.
So on his left side he had bigbruise on his ribs and told me
he had fallen the day before andI thought, okay, he's
internally bleeding.
This is not good.
He had fallen the day beforeand I thought, okay, he's
(23:19):
internally bleeding, this is notgood.
Called the patrol, which wasnext door in another building,
had first aid gear brought over,oxygen, et cetera at a
backboard, called for ahelicopter, took his blood
pressure and went okay, for a15-year-old kid, this is not
good.
I knew that he needed to be inthe hospital and he went down by
helicopter.
I found out that his parentswere in California.
(23:39):
He didn't know cell phones 21years ago so we couldn't call
parents and he didn't know whathis grandmother's last name was.
So we found it and called them.
I went to visit him in thehospital on Saturday night,
after I flew him, and Sunday,because his parents didn't show
up till Monday and he was alonein ICU and they decided that his
spleen was bleeding butencapsulated.
(24:02):
It was so swollen.
It was not bleeding internallybut it was giving him low blood
pressure.
He had mononucleosis, which iswhy his spleen was swollen from
wrestling.
They're on that mat togethersweating and whatever, and his
mother called Red Cross and saidI want to honor her somehow.
So I was honored that spring ata breakfast and given a little
(24:25):
plaque.
So 21 years later I see he'strying to get in touch with me.
So I went online and found outhe lives two towns away from me.
So I called his businessbecause he didn't have his home
phone and they said oh, he justsold the HVAC business to us in
January.
He doesn't work here anymore.
And this was April.
(24:46):
I said will you tell?
If you hear from him?
Tell him I need to get in touchwith him.
He's looking for me.
I get a text message from him.
He came to my house with hisfiance.
Now he has three children.
She has three children.
It's the Grady bunch.
And he came to my house and wetalked a little bit and then he
(25:07):
arranged for Central OregonDaily, a local TV station, to
come out to Prineville and meetthe two of us and do a story on
us.
I have cried because a lot oftimes I would say most of the
time in my career I never get afollow-up like this and to get a
(25:29):
person who is now 36 years old.
He spent eight years in theNavy trying to find himself.
He had his own HVAC business.
He's got three kids.
Now he's a single parentraising them alone, has a fiance
.
They're getting married soon.
I'll be there.
That is so cool, yeah, so I texthim every week to find out how
(25:52):
he's doing.
He hadn't seen his mother andfather in six years.
They didn't like what he wasdoing in his home life and his
divorce and he invited them overon Mother's Day and Father's
Day from the Valley and they arenow back together too.
I encouraged it.
I said you know it's short life.
He and I have a connection nowand I so appreciate him.
(26:15):
It's kind of like having a son.
I don't have kids.
I have dogs.
Yeah, it's something with skipatrol.
You never expect this, that 21years later somebody searches
for you to say thank you and youdon't want to say to him it was
my job, you know it's life.
(26:36):
And to have a young person thengo through for 21 years and now
decide that he wants to find meto say thank you, it's, yeah,
pretty amazing.
Jodie (26:47):
Oh, that is so amazing, kathy.
I mean it is so wonderful tohave that.
It's so wonderful to have that,like you said, number one 90%
of the people we have no cluewhat's happened, how they're
doing any better.
But I mean you directly, withyour training, your expertise,
(27:15):
you got him the needed treatmentright away and, as you said,
look, you definitely made animpact in his life.
I mean you go above and beyondthe call of duty.
You're being with him whenthere's no one else is there.
I, I, that is that is aweinspiring.
I mean it is such a comfort inthe heart.
I just, oh, you got to takethose good feels and, like you
(27:37):
said, people don't do it for theother part, but it is so nice
to be able to have thatexperience.
I mean to know, and then, look,I mean you stay in touch and
that is just oh, wow, that isjust so cool.
Yeah, oh, kathy, thank you somuch, but that is.
(27:59):
I totally thank you forbringing that up, because I
totally forgot about that partand that is a definite need to
have that.
Kathy Alexander (28:08):
Well, it's just like the man who was in cardiac
arrest in the Audubon, that'sright, him and his wife show up
three weeks later and to haveeverybody gathered who was on
that scene and say thank you.
That man knew that if thingsweren't done immediately which
they were and get him to theright place, even though Life
(28:30):
Flight was going to be in in 44minutes, when I heard that when
I'm at landing, I went holy shit, we can't do CPR for 44 minutes
.
But then Cam Sherman, mysisters, were there to start the
cardiac drugs.
But then he woke up before thehelicopter landed.
It was just well, yeah.
Jodie (28:52):
That's rare.
Kathy Alexander (28:53):
Yeah, it is because I've done CPR many times
, and half the times they don'twalk out of the hospital.
They don't, they don't liveenough to get to the hospital.
Jodie (29:04):
Yeah, that is a high majority, unfortunately, so but,
thank you.
Oh, no, thank you, and it hasbeen a pleasure talking to us
and we'll see you at the nexttime for Patroller Chats.
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